Dive into our FAQs to get all the details and discover how the revamped structure will make 2025 the most competitive season yet.
Here’s what you need to know about the season’s schedule, the innovative six-team Finals Series, and how teams will battle it out for the championship.
Q: What is the format of Super Rugby Pacific for 2025?
A: 11 teams will compete across a 16-round regular season, followed by a three-week Finals Series. The competing teams are the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders, Moana Pasifika, Fijian Drua, ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force.
Q: When will the season start?
A: The 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season will kick off on February 14, a week earlier than previous seasons to allow for an additional week of round robin games.
Q: How many games will the teams play?
A: Each team will play 14 regular season games - seven at home and seven away, with two byes.
Q: Is there any change in the timing of games?
A: The 2025 draw will feature family-friendly afternoon fixtures, including three Sunday afternoon games. Additional Sunday afternoon fixtures are being explored for future seasons of Super Rugby Pacific.
Q: Will there still be an emphasis on local derbies?
A: Each team will play four teams twice, and those matchups will be mostly traditional and local rivalries.
Q: Who will play in the Finals Series?
A: The top six teams after the final round of the regular season play will qualify for the Finals Series.
Q: How will the six-team Finals Series work?
A: In the first week of the Finals Series, the Qualifying Finals will be 1 v 6, 2 v 5 and 3 v 4, with the higher-seeded teams to host.
Q: If that provides three of the four semifinalists, how will the fourth be decided?
A: The three winning sides will be joined in the Semi-Finals by the highest-seeded losing team – the 'lucky loser'. That team will progress but will drop one seeding for the Semi-Final draw, which ensures a Qualifying Final match-up is not repeated in the Semi-Finals.
Q: How will the semifinalists be ranked?
A: The Semi-Finals will see 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, with the higher-seeded teams to host.
Q: Why have these changes been made?
A: The fans wanted a more competitive conclusion to the season. This Finals Series will produce highly-competitive games while still rewarding the teams that finish higher on the table.
Q: Why not just give the top two teams a bye in the first week of the Finals Series?
A: Fans have told us they want more rugby, not less, the format rewards teams who have ranked highly across the season. The ‘lucky loser’ component creates a more intense competition for every position on the ladder as the Finals Series approaches.
Q: So, if the 'lucky loser' was 1 which then won its semifinal, it could still host the Grand Final?
A:
- 1 (lucky loser) would drop a ranking to 2 for semi-finals
- 2 would go up a ranking to 1 for the semi-finals
- If the newly number 1 ranked team lost their semi-final, and number 2 ranked won their semi-final, the ‘lucky loser’ from qualifiers, now ranked 2nd on the table would host the Grand Final.
Q: Will there be a Super Round in 2025?
A: No Super Round in 2025, however we will be exploring opportunities for Super Round in the future.